The Endless Peace Corps Application Process

Today Judith and I finally mailed off our medical clearance forms to Peace Corps. It was a process begun last March when we received the pile of forms from Washington, D.C. It was a relief to finally get each group of records into the SASE, lock it down with tape, and send each packet off as certified mail. The Post Office window clerk, seeing the address, put both hands together in a prayer salute and wished us luck.

Luck! How we've needed it these last five months as we navigated the forms. One might suppose that they would have sent a cohesive package of forms, numbered and lettered, with the appropriate check-off lists to make certain everything was there.

And indeed, the materials they sent could be seen as having once had a sort of maniacal order. But it must have been at some distant moment in the past. Perhaps back in the 1980s or 70s or 60s.

Unfortunately, as the forms currently appear, they are a hodge-podge of requests for information, each request clearly devised by a separate internal entity within the medical establishment of the Peace Corps offices.

On some level I imagined it would be like going into the Army. But now I suspect the Army must have the medical process down to a science, using their own physicians. How else could we have built us such a large military?

By comparison, the Peace Corps medical forms process would seem archaic at best. Were Peace Corps to fight a war by drafting Peace Corps recruits, the processes of getting everyone through the medical forms would, in itself, eventually cause us to suite for peace.

For example, we are responsible for getting the various doctors to fill out the forms precisely, and for paying those doctors their going rates for their services. Imagine trying to fight in Afghanistan if each soldier were required to go back home and have his/her doctor complete a half-inch sheaf of paper forms. Then, when the whole examination process is complete, the soldier was required to pay up out of his own pocket.

Peace Corps does provide a small remuneration, but we haven't gone through that process yet. The reimbursement amounts listed are small, I'm afraid. So I'm really hopeful that we don't end up being eliminated because of some minor issue with our health. Then the whole process would seem like a waste of money.

So how bad was the overall medical examination process? Not too bad!

The basic exams are pretty simple: A physical exam, providing an immunization record, a few blood tests, an eye exam, and a dental exam.

Thereafter, the unique medical history of each applicant is queried with specific tests, based upon what the applicant has revealed in his/her medical narrative that was a part of the in the initial Peace Corps application.

For instance, I have high blood pressure, and I identified that I had this condition on my initial Peace Corps application. This led the medical screening staff to request more specific information, and a separate form was enclosed which need to be filled out. Likewise, I used to faint when I was younger -- a condition called Vasal Vagil Syncop. I used to faint whenever I became overly stressed, and my blood pressure would suddenly descend. The condition is harmless, but this too had to be explained by a specialist, even though today I no longer experience this condition.

But for a young person - someone who has not yet suffered tribulations that life inflicts upon each of us - the medical screening process would probably seem pretty straight forward. By comparison, for older applicants -- 50 or greater -- the battery of tests and proofs tend to multiply. Colonoscopy, Electro Cardiogram, additional blood work: All to prove that you are in fact alive and will not succumb during deployment.

The worse part for me was obtaining the past medical records from a hospitalization more than 10 years ago. I emailed, phoned, faxed -- but to no avail. Finally, they told me that I actually could not have my own records. According to their rules, only a physician could receive copies, and only if I were physically present at the time the hospital faxed them the records. That entire episode of record retrieval took four months to work out. Then, after my doctor gave me the records, I had to go to a local specialist who could review the old records and vouchsafe that I was still alive and unencumbered by the old ailment.

Some requests for information related to illnesses or conditions that I experienced back when I was 15 years old. Peace Corps wanted to be certain that I was no longer afflicted. Puberty? Don't even ask!

Unfortunately, those medical records -- and all the people who treated me back then -- have long since disappeared. And so, after speaking to the medical coordinator back in Washington, DC, it was recommended that I simply enclose a "personal statement" explaining the circumstances.

We were very lucky that our own local doctor, Barry Brown, was so patient and understanding with us. When he first heard us talking about going into the Peace Corps more than a year ago, he smiled and shook our hands. His encouragement has certainly made the whole process much easier. Over and over again we traipsed through his examination rooms as we tried repeatedly to complete the endless medical clearance processes. Each test resulted in one more question, which required more tests, etc. By the end of it I'm sure even his nurse Erin was relieved to see the end of us. We can't thank them enough for their good will, patience, and professionalism.

But what will we say if we still don't get into the Peace Corp?

During the midst of all this coming and going to the doctors' offices we received a notice that we were taking too long, and that if Peace Corps did not receive our completed forms by July 8th, our applications would automatically be placed on hold.

Argh! July 8th was yesterday! Our medical packets shipped today! What now?

We'll have to wait and see.

And if they reject us because we're too "feeble and frail"?

Oh yes! They can still reject us!

Stay tuned. We have been told that -- now that we have sent the medical forms -- it will take them up to six months to process them. That puts us into December.